Prof. Dr. Prisca Liberali

Area of Research

Description of Research Interest

My research focuses on understanding how tissues self-organize, maintain function, and regenerate across biological scales—from single cells to whole organs. I develop and apply advanced bioimaging, organoid systems, and genome engineering approaches to study how cellular behaviors collectively shape tissue architecture, with a particular emphasis on epithelial systems and disease-relevant contexts.A central goal of my work is to uncover how genetic variation and environmental cues influence tissue dynamics, including repair, degeneration, and early disease processes. By integrating quantitative imaging, computational analysis, and experimental models, I aim to bridge mechanistic insights with clinically relevant phenotypes.I am particularly interested in collaborations that connect patient-derived material, disease models, or clinical observations with experimental and quantitative approaches. This includes projects on tissue regeneration, cancer initiation, and functional consequences of genetic variants.Through such interdisciplinary efforts, I seek to translate fundamental principles of tissue organization into clinically actionable knowledge and to develop predictive frameworks for disease progression and therapeutic response.

Special Expertise

• Advanced live and fixed bioimaging across scales (confocal, light-sheet, high-content imaging)
  
• Quantitative image analysis & computational modeling of tissue organization and dynamics
  
• Organoid and stem cell–based models (intestinal, epithelial systems; patient-relevant contexts)
  
• Genome engineering (CRISPR/Cas, precise variant modeling, lineage tracing)
  
• Functional analysis of disease-associated genetic variants in tissue contexts
  
• Tissue regeneration, morphogenesis, and epithelial repair mechanisms
  
• Study of early disease processes (e.g., cancer initiation, tissue degeneration)
  
• Integration of multi-scale data (single-cell to tissue-level phenotypes)
  
• Development of AI-driven bioimage analysis pipelines
  
• Handling and analysis of patient-derived samples and translational model systems
  
• Design of interdisciplinary workflows bridging experimental biology and clinical questions
  
• Experience in collaborative projects with clinicians, including hypothesis-driven and exploratory studies
  

Shareable Platforms, Services, Equipment & Infrastructure

• Advanced bioimaging (live and fixed, multi-scale tissue analysis)
  
• Quantitative image analysis (including custom/AI-based approaches)
  
• Organoid-based disease models (establishment and experimental use)
  
• Genome engineering (CRISPR-based variant modeling in tissue systems)
  
• Targeted screening approaches (genetic or phenotypic, imaging-based)
  
• Selective integration of patient-derived samples into experimental workflows